. >>> syria's ruthless regime may have little time left. president assad is losing his country's bloody civil war and now the foreign ministry denies that statement this morning. the rebels are outside the capital and gaining ground, but many groups with competing interests among the ranks and assad's fall would not mean an end to the fighting. >> don't really have a good sense. to the extent that external organizations are in there in some extremist form, the worry is the retribution afterwards and access to chemical weapons. >> this week, the u.s., europe and allies recognized the opposition, which could speed up international aid. but some factions of the rebels are known to have ties to al qaeda. that is the lingering question, you knock out the leader, but what is left, building a new country sometimes is the more difficult part compared to getting rid of the dictator. look at egypt and the mess they're going through. >> but the state department is encouraging russia to withdraw their support and join with the u.s. in implementing a po